Fragments from the book Holden L. Human Osteology (1861). The author discusses the attachment and anatomy of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). In some cases, we have added links to quotations about LCF available on our resource, as well as to publications posted on the Internet.
Quote pp. 166-167
Acetabulum. Lastly, we come to the "acetabulum."
This is so named from its resemblance to an ancient vinegar cup. Observe its
great depth and hemispherical form adapted for the secure lodgement of the head
of the thigh-bone, and for more or less movement in any direction. It looks
downwards and outwards so as to transmit the weight of the trunk directly on to
the head of the thigh-bone; and the upper or iliac portion of it is by far the thickest
and strongest, since it has to support the whole weight of the trunk in the
erect posture. All these points are of interest, because they are
characteristic of the human skeleton. There are two notches in the margin or
"brim" of the acetabulum. The upper and smaller one is near the
ileo-pectineal eminence, and permits the free bending of the thigh towards the
abdomen. The other and larger, specially called "the notch," is at
the lowest part of the margin. It permits the "adduction" of the
thigh, as, for instance, when we cross the legs, and also lets blood-vessels
run into the acetabulum to supply the ligamentum teres, and the fat at the
bottom of it. Besides which, there is no need of bone at the lowest part of the
socket, which never has to support weight. Two ligaments are attached to the
borders of the notch: one is the "ligamentum teres;" the other is the
"transverse ligament,"* which runs. across it to complete the margin
of the acetabulum.
* The transverse ligament is sometimes ossified in
extreme old age. See a preparation in the Hunterian Museum, No. 5524.
Deep as it is, even in the dry bone, the acetabulum is
made still deeper in the recent state by a rim of fibro-cartilage, called the "cotyloid
ligament," which, besides increasing its depth, serves as a "
sucker" to keep the head of the bone in the socket.
Looking into the socket, we observe that it is smooth
everywhere, except at the bottom, where there is an irregular excavation continuous
with the notch below. This is to allow the free play of the ligamentum teres
within the joint, and is partly occupied by fat and synovial fringes. If the
socket be held up to the light, the bottom of it will be found thin enough to
be transparent. This thinness explains why, in some cases of diseased
hip-joint, the matter makes its way through the socket into the pelvic cavity.*
It likewise explains why a fall on the trochanter major is able to fracture the
bottom of the acetabulum. We have a preparation** in the museum of St.
Bartholomew's Hospital in which a fracture, caused by a fall on the trochanter
a few months before death, extended in several directions from the centre of
the acetabulum to its circumference.
* See museum of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Second
Series, B. 18.
** Third Scries, No. 62.
Besides the three pieces of which it is originally
formed, the os innominatum has four "epiphyses," which begin to
appear about the age of puberty. One skirts the crest of the ilium. There is a
second for the anterior-inferior spine; a third along the tuberosity of the
ischium: and a fourth, which forms a thin plate, at the symphysis pubis.
Quote pp. 177-178
Head. The head forms rather more than half a sphere, smooth
and convex on every part, except at a point a little behind and below its
centre, where there is a depression for the attachment of the "ligamentum
teres." It forms a perfect ball-and-socket joint with the acetabulum. When
crusted with cartilage the ball fits so accurately into its socket, that it is
retained in it by atmospheric pressure alone. It has been ascertained by experiment
that this pressure is about 26 pounds; that is, more than equal to sustain the
weight of the entire limb with all its soft parts. More than this, the Brothers
Weber* have shown that, in walking, the legs act like pendulums, and that we
require scarcely any muscular force to advance one leg before the other. This
is a beautiful provision. The limb hangs freely in its socket, and the muscles
do not expend any of their power in keeping it there. [Herman] Boerhaave might well say,
"in mirabili articulatione femoria Creatorem adoramus" [in the
wonderful articulation of the thighs we worship the Creator].
* Mechanik der mensch. Gehwerk., Gott. 1836.
External links
Holden L. Human
osteology: Сomprising a
description of the bones with delineations of the attachments of the muscles,
the general and microscopic structure of bone and its development, to which is
added a brief notice of the unity of type in the construction of the vertebrate
skeleton. 3rd ed. London: J. Churchill, 1861. [archive.org]
Authors & Affiliations
Luther
Holden (1816-1905) was an English surgeon [wikipedia.org], [foto: wikimedia.org].
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| Luther Holden (c. 1880) Artist John Everett Millais; original in the Foundling Museum collection: artuk.org «This image can be used for non-commercial research or private study purposes…» (no changes). |
Keywords
ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum
teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, blood supply
NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7
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